winning

American  

[win-ing] / ˈwɪn ɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of a person or thing that wins.

   Antonyms:

   losing

2. Usually winnings something that is won, especially money.

3. Mining.

   1. any opening by which coal is being or has been extracted.

   2. a bed of coal ready for mining.

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adjective

1. that wins; successful or victorious, as in a contest.

   the winning team.

   Antonyms:

   losing

2. charming; engaging; pleasing.

   a winning child; a winning smile.

   Synonyms:

   winsome, attractive

   Antonyms:

   repulsive

winning British  

/ ˈwɪnɪŋ /

adjective

1. (of a person, character, etc) charming, engaging, or attractive

   winning ways

   a winning smile

2. gaining victory

   the winning stroke

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noun

1. 1. a shaft or seam of coal

   2. the extraction of coal or ore from the ground

2. (plural) money, prizes, or valuables won, esp in gambling

Other Word Forms

• winningness
  noun
• unwinning
  adjective
• winningly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of winning

1250–1300; Middle English (noun); see win ¹, -ing ¹, -ing ²

Example Sentences

Winning everything’s nice, but Thursday night really didn’t count.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 26, 2026

Together with Griffiths and Johnson she set up an online course called Winning Parents, aimed at helping parents understand how they can support their children before, during and after matches.

From BBC • Jun. 26, 2026

Winning as darkness fell in Rawalpindi and losing by one run in Wellington.

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

Winning the Derby changes anyone’s life, but it’s magnified when you make history, as DeVaux did by becoming the first female trainer to win the world’s most famous horse race.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026

Winning, we had come to believe, was our destiny.

From "Stargirl" by Jerry Spinelli

Related Words

• leading
• successful
• victorious